Electrical apparatus



May 10, 1960 R. w. FRASER EI'AL 2,936,437

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 20, 1956 m m .0.R R N sE R R Q M w MP /K W T mRm c wmv RVB ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Robert W. Fraser, Waltham, and Vincent R. Herterick, Lexington, Mass., assignors to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Application September 20,1956, Serial No. 611,022

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-17) This invention relates generally to electrical apparatus and has particular reference to an electrical connector for attachment to a support having circuit continuing means disposed thereon.

Certain types of electrical apparatus are particularly adapted for construction by providing a support panel having circuit elements disposed on the surface by any of several methods, such as by printing with conductive material or by selective etching of a sheet of conducting material. Such methods of manufacture, while providing a rapid and economical method of manufacture of electrical devices, have complicated the problem of making electrical contact to other devices, such as connector plugs or electric lamps. This problem has been particularly troublesome in the use of so-called printed circuit panels in the lighting of automobile dashboardswhere small lamp bulbs and connectors must be attached to the panel securely enough to prevent loosening by shock and vibration.

The object of this invention is to provide an electrical connector which is adapted for attachment to a support having circuit continuing elements on the surface thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connector of the type described which is provided with an aperture for receiving an electrical device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket of the type described in which contact members projecting into a lamp receiving aperture are provided with forwardly projecting portions for making contact with circuit continuing elements on the support panel.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a lamp socket embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the socket of Fig. l as seen from the right side;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a support panel having circuit elements disposed thereon, and an aperture shaped to receive the socket of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the socket of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 with a section of the support panel added;

Fig. 6 is a view in section taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view in section of the assembly of Fig. 6 with a lamp bulb assembled therein.

Reference is hereby made to our co-pending application, Serial No. 611,023, filed September 20, 1956, now Patent No. 2,884,609, dated April 28, 1959.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a lamp socket 10 which is adapted for assembly with a support panel 12 to receive and complete an electric circuit to a lamp bulb 14, said support 12 comprising electrical conductive means which may be of the type comprising conductive elements 16 and contact means 18, conductive elements in the form shown being so-called printed cirice cuits disposed on said support 12, two of which are shown leading to contact means 18 disposed on opposite sides of an aperture 24]. The aperture 20 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed notches 22 for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

The lamp bulb 14 for which the socket 16 is adapted for use has a base 24 with a conductive shell and a center contact 26 protruding from the end of the base. One or more pins 28 protrude from the sides of the base to lock the base in the socket into which it is assembled.

The lamp socket 10 comprises a body portion 30 which may be formed of a single piece of molded plastic and a pair of contact members 32. and 34 assembled therewith.

In the illustrated embodiment the body 30 is provided with a central aperture 36 opening to the forward end thereof for receiving the base 24 of the bulb. The walls of the aperture are provided with a pair of pin-receiving means disposed on opposite sides thereof, each one of which comprises a pair of slots 38 and 40 extending longitudinally from opposite ends of the body. The slots 38 and 41'? are circumferentially spaced and extend slightly past one another intersecting near the ends to provide a channel 42. The slot 38 opens to the forward end of the body to receive a pin 28, and for convenience in molding, the slot 40 opens to the rear of the body so that the slots may be formed when the body is molded by two core pins entering from opposite ends. The channel 42 enables the bulb to be assembled into the body by entering thepins 28 into the slots 33 and then rotating the body so that the pins pass through the channels 42 and seat in the forward ends of the slots 46.

The body 30 is provided with a forwardly projecting portion 44 which is adapted to enter the panel aperture 20 to position the socket, a laterally extending flange portion 46 to bear against the panel, laterally extending wing portions 47 for a purpose to appear hereinafter, and a pair of forwardly extending resilient legs 48 having shoulders 50 for snapping engagement with the panel in the notches 22.

The contact 32 has a U-shaped portion. 52 having a retaining leg 54 disposed in a suitable aperture in the body, and a free resilient leg 56 disposed in a slot 58 in the wall of the bulb aperture and projecting into the aperture for contact with the shell of a lamp bulb, a laterally extending portion 64 disposed in a slot 61 in one wing portion 47, and a forwardly projecting portion 62 which protrudes from the forward end of the body.

The contact 34 has a retaining portion 64 disposed in a suitable aperture in the wall of the body, a resilient portion 66 disposed in and projecting forwardly from a slot 68 in the body at the rear of the bulb aperture, a laterally extending portion 70 disposed in a slot 72 in one wing portion, and a forwardly projecting portion 74 which protrudes from the forward end of the body.

The socket 10 is assembled with the panel by inserting the flexible legs 48 into the notches 22 so that the socket is properly positioned both laterally and in the proper rotational relation so that on further insertion the protruding portions 62 and 74 of the contacts can enter the contact means 18 and the shoulders 50- can snap into provided with other numbers of contacts. The socket described herein is designed to receive the base of a lamp bulb. However, it can also be used to receive a suitably shaped connector to complete desired circuits to an ext rnal device.

While I have described my invention in use with a support panel 12, I have also shown, in Fig. 7, a cabinet or other l ousing 13 having a window 15 through which illumination may pass from the light bulb 14.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in this device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

W claim:

el tri l app rat s of the class descri ed. in lu ing an ns lating support, having ele rical. conductive elemen s and con a t mean a mbled with, the upport in contact with said conductive elements for receiving electrical contact members to make electrical connections thereto, a quick attachable, and detachable connector as sembled with said support, said connector having an insulating body provided with an aperture for receiving an electrical device, said body having integral, forwardly projecting attaching means detachably engaged with said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,633,827 Siegel June 28, 1927 2,593,479 Nieter Apr. 22, 1952 2,712,120 Cochran June 28, 1955 2,741,747 Woofler 1... Apr. 10, 1956 2,796,498 Daily et al. r June 18., 1951 2,884,609

Fraser et a1. Apr. 28; 1959 OTHER REFERENCES C.T.S Electronics, March 1954, page 108. 

